Once again, with feeling
by seystina
Summary: Gabriel Agreste is given the chance to travel back in time and fix himself before he wrecks himself. Cross-posted on ao2 (formatting fixed)
1. Chapter 1

_Gabriel Agreste._

_We will grant you a second chance._

_Don't mess it up._

Gabriel gasped and heaved, his mind reeling in too much information. Chat noir. His son. Adrien. Nathalie. Émilie, his wish. How everything had crumbled down when he finally thought he had the miraculous he longed for. But at what cost? Ladybug, the young promising designer… Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

The future. His future. A future without Emilie, no matter what he tried. Guilt spread in his veins, nerve wracking.

"Master ?"

The little voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Nooro. The little kwami stood in the air, in front of him, confusion on his face. Gabriel looked around. They were in the lair, and shaking, he pulled out his phone, the screen informing him it was september the first. The day where it all began. The day he was supposed to start chaos in paris. The first day of school of Adrien… Adrien. He had fighted his own son. His beloved son. The nausea came in waves, and he barely made it in time to his personal washroom, followed by the concerned voice of Nooro, where he emptied his stomach. Gabriel sat on the cold bathroom tiles, dry heaving and trembling with guilt and remorse. He had done so much evil. He had vented out his grief on Paris, lost in the pain of losing Emilie.

And now he understood, that she would never come back, she was dead. And Nathalie… had followed her too, in the footsteps of Mayura. She had fallen terribly ill, and it was all because of him. He had failed his son. He had failed as a father. He had failed Nathalie. He had failed Emilie.

"Master ? Is everything alright ?"

The concerned voice of Nooro brought him back to his senses. The little fairy hovered over him, confused and worried. Nooro worried about him? That couldn't be right, not after all the cruel treatment he made the kwami suffer through.

The kwamis… still had deemed him worthy of fixing his mistakes.. and had sent him back. But why? Guilt and grief clashed all over his mind, leaving him no escape. He retched whatever was left in his stomach once again. When he was finally able to speak again, his voice was creaking.

"Why, Nooro ?"

"I don't understand master, you were there then you spaced out, and you…"

"I was sent back."

"What ?"

"I was sent back by the kwamis. By you. I've… done terrible things. I became Hawkmoth. I promised her i would bring her back... that's why i wanted the miraculous of the ladybug and the black cat. To bring Émilie back. All is my fault Nooro. I battled my own son. I neglected him."

The little god was silent now, as Gabriel confessed everything to the kwami. It was like a dam had been broken, and the breach could not be fixed. A tear rolled on his cheek, then two. And in no time he was fully sobbing, pathetic, a mess of snot and tears on his pristine bathroom floor. Nothing could describe the regret he was feeling right now. The remorse was too strong and would not leave his mind. He finished his terrible confession, waiting for Nooro to leave, to yell at him, do something. But instead the kwami did none of that and after a beat of silence, flew to him and nuzzled in his neck, hugging him with all his tiny body.

"You were sent back for a reason, I believe," said softly Nooro, gentle as always. How dare he, abuse of such a kind soul like he did ? He retired his glasses and dried his tears best as he could, his mind racing still.

The kwami continued, still ignorant of the war battle his brain was in (or maybe he knew, and choose to speak no word of it yet)

"We kwamis, do not send back just anyone. If we did… then we believed you deserved a second chance."

A second chance ? After all he had done ? If someone had said this to him months before, he would have laughed in their face. He had promised he would bring back Émilie, no matter the price. But only now he understood that the price, indeed, was too much to bear. He couldn't fight his son anymore. Nor put Nathalie in death's arms. He didn't knew what to believe anymore.

Lost in his misery, he did not heard the knock at his door and thus jumped when Nathalie spoke through the door.

"Sir, Adrien tried to go to school. We got him back home, as you said. He awaits in the dining room."

He cleared his throat, and spoke -oh, how he hated how his voice slightly broke on the words- as cooly as he was capable

"Give me a moment. I'll speak with him later."

He had to maintain appearances, that was for the best. Slowly, he rose from his uncomfortable position on the floor, ignoring the dizziness that settled in him. Adrien… Oh gods, Adrien. How could he make it up to him ? He had not only fought him, he had neglected him through and through, lost in the akumas and his work. Never showing up to his classes meetings, to his fencing tournaments, to his birthdays even. If only he could go back in time…

He realized that he just did. That was his chance. To be a better father. To be a real _dad_. He could start over. Before getting addicted to being Hawkmoth. But for now, he had to apologize. Or he would lose Adrien again. And that, he couldn't live with a second time.

He smoothed his hair and his shirt, wiped the sweat on his brow and drank a bit of water to chase the foul taste in his mouth. When he finally was ready to leave the bathroom, he was praying no one would notice his red eyes and Nooro was hiding in his jacket. Ten minutes had passed and the dizziness following him still. He made his way to the large dining room, where Adrien was being tutored by Nathalie.

Nothing had prepared him for the shock of seeing Adrien alive and well. Not looking at him with an expression of disgust and reject, even if it was apprehension on his face. The boy expected to be punished. Gabriel gulped. He never wanted to see that look on his son ever again. The nausea came back but he pushed it deep down inside him. Something must have betrayed him however, because the nervousness on adrien changed to concern.

"Father, are you alright ? You look very pale." Adrien said, his green eyes so alike those of Émilie staring into him.

Émile. Thinking of her was still so painful. Everything in Adrien reminded him of her. For one moment, he was still tempted to repeat history, dismiss his son and go akumatize the first person he could feel, just to have a chance to see her again. But he couldn't, not again. Not when Adrien needed him. He blinked furiously, trying hard to not cry again. He could feel his hands starting to shake, his heart beating painfully. All he wanted was to hug his son. Apologize. Tell him he loved him. Promise him he would never hurt him again.

"Father ?"

He could feel Nathalie staring at him. Gabriel Agreste never was at a loss for words.

His head was spinning now, painfully throbbing at his temples.

"Adrien. I…" he tried to speak, but no words would come.

He took one step towards him. And suddenly, his whole world went black.

"FATHER !"

"No work for one week at least. He needs to rest. He is exhausted and his heart recieved a nasty shock."

Adrien slowly slipped away from the doctor, who was giving more instructions to Nathalie. Silently, he made his way to Gabriel's room and knocked, announcing his presence. Timidly, he entered the large dimly lit bedroom. His father had changed rooms after his mother passed. The room was still a master -everything in this house was- and as splendid their old room was, but it still felt weird. Gabriel laid in bed but turned his head towards him, his glasses on the nightstand.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Father. I was just…" Adrien started to say, feeling like a little boy under the impressive blue eyes.

But Gabriel extended his hand to him and beckoned him closer. Adrien almost ran to his side, but restrained himself and took the offered hand with relief.

"I was so scared" sniffed Adrien, quietly starting to cry. Gabriel slowly raised his hand and gently wiped the tears off his cheeks, like he used to do. Adrien smiled at him through his tears and would not let go of his hand.

"I'm sorry, Adrien" rasped his father. Adrien looked at him with wide eyes; it wasn't like his father to apologize like that.

"You're overworking yourself." Adrien said quietly, and laughed when Gabriel grumbled.

"No, seriously. You are" he continued. His father sighed and passed a hand in Adrien's hair, something he hadn't done in months. Actually, since his mother died. Adrien leaned into the touch happily. This was unusual, but he wasn't gonna complain. He felt like his dad was finally back. Much too soon, Gabriel stopped and then tried to sit.

"Adrien ?"

"Mmmh ?"

"You really want to go to school, do you ?"

Adrien raised his head, not believing what he just heard.

"Yes," he replied in a heartbeat "I really do, father. I want to make friends. I just want to be a normal kid, like the others."

_But you won't be normal_, thought Gabriel. Yet he pushed down that thought. This was for later. Adrien's happiness was important, and should be his top priority. Going to school, he would make friends, including Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And Gabriel didn't wanted to take that away from him.

Gabriel sighed, then smiled at his son.

"I will arrange myself with Nathalie so you can go to Françoise Dupont starting tomorrow then."

The biggest smile appeared on Adrien's face.

"Oh, thank you Father !"

"But you will continue your chinese lessons and photoshoots. These are important too."

"I promise you won't regret this !" said Adrien, almost jumping up and down with excitement.

"I trust you, Adrien."

Adrien looked more touched at those words than anything he could have said. Carefully, he put one arm around Gabriel and hugged him tightly. A bit awkwardly at first, he returned the embrace best as he could. He put his chin in his son's hair and stayed there for a moment. For Gabriel, this was the moment where he decided he couldn't go back to his old ways. Adrien was far too important to him. And he had to lose him to realize this.

"I'll let you rest now" said quietly Adrien, still smiling. Gabriel kissed his forehead and ruffled his hair a bit. Adrien laughed, and Gabriel marveled at the sound. All wasn't lost. He had a second chance.

Once Adrien was gone, he laid back, left alone with his thoughts. Nooro came out of his hiding spot to rest on his chest, pulsating with positive emotions.

"You made the right choice, Master." said the little god, smiling at him.

Gabriel patted Nooro's head lightly. The kwami's emotions surrounded him, much more pleasant than before. Was it because he hadn't used the miraculous to do evil and that allowed him to connect more with his kwami ? He could only speculate.

"I do have an idea, master. For you to give back to Paris, even if you did not started to be Hawkmoth here."

"Do tell, Nooro."

"You could maybe… Become a hero ?" said shyly the tiny fairy. At this, Gabriel stayed silent for a moment.

"I… I don't know how," he confessed, wincing. "I only knew how to create Akumas."

"I can teach you ! But first, you must rest. The magic has taken a toll on your body and mind. You need time to recover."

Gabriel hummed his approbation. He could feel himself drifting into sleep. And even if the pain of losing Émilie was still fresh, he felt oddly at peace for a bit. Guilt was still flowing through him, but knowing he had a second chance helped. He could make this better. He would not fail this time.

Meanwhile, two teenagers discovered two peculiar little boxes on their tables…


	2. Chapter 2

Marinette was having a kind of weird first day of school. First, she had saved an old man from being hit by a car, trashed the macarons made for her class in the process, then Chloé Bourgeois had proceeded to bully her into changing seats -nothing new there. At least, she made a new friend today, she mused. Alya was nice, if only a bit obsessed with superheroes. Marinette sometimes wished she had some kind of powers, anything to fight her formidable and famous clumsiness. But seeing as she tripped on her way back to school and scratched her knees and palms, dropped a tray of fresh out of the oven cookies and misunderstood a customer order, there was a not a chance of that happening. Ever.

She sighed as she made her way up to her room. Today wasn't exceptional, nor tomorrow would ever be. She would get bullied around by Chloé during the school year again, would get late to class again, and would be normal. Just like every other year. Marinette shook her head, forcing herself to get rid of the depressing thoughts. This was why she hated first day of classes.

It was the beginning of the afternoon, as class had finished early since it was the first day of school. She had gotten Alya's number. Maybe she could invite the red haired girl to hang out ? She was about to send a text to her when she noticed the little wooden box on her computer table. She frowned.

How did that got here ? She clearly remembered that it wasn't present this morning when she left for school. Maybe it was a gift from her parents, but she didn't recall of any special occasion that could have justified the present. Curious, she opened the box.

All she had the time to see was a pair of earrings before a blinding light illuminated her room. She yelped, tripped and fell on her back as a little red creature appeared out of the earrings, triggering her fight or flight response. Marinette did the only thing that came to her mind in that instant : she screamed.

« Help ! It's a giant bug ! … a mouse ! A bug-mouse ! » she blabbered, reaching for the first object on her desk, ready to throw it.

But the strangeness did not stop there : the little fairy opened her mouth and spoke.

« Everything is fine ! Don't be scared ! » squeaked the red thing in a high pitched voice. Reason and panic debated during a split second in Marinette, before panic won the fight almost immediately. She started to throw all the books she could find while the creature continued to talk. After a second of frantic searching, she grabbed a glass and trapped the flying talking bug under it and started to call for her mother. No response came. Of course, she thought after a moment, her mother was in the bakery downstairs with her father.

« Please, Marinette. »

The mention of her name immediately sobered her up. « H..How do you know my name ? What are you ? » Marinette stuttered as the little fairy only smiled.

« I am Tikki, kwami of creation. I need your help. »

Out of all the things Marinette was expecting, this was not it. The so called kwami continued.

And that is when the afternoon went from weird to utterly bizarre.

Meanwhile, Adrien's day had started very badly. He had run to school, where Chloé promised him he would have a place awaiting him, escaping Nathalie and the family's bodyguard but stopped to help an old man who had fallen down, making him unable to reach school in time. He had gone home, expecting to get the punishment of his life. His father, Gabriel Agreste had appeared but instead of the scolding Adrien was sure to get, all color drained from the older man face, and he had promptly collapsed. Adrien had immediately run to his father, panic filling his mind. He had only lost his mother a year ago, he could not lose the only family he had left too. Nathalie had crouched down beside Adrien, helping him to put Gabriel in recovery position and had already started to call an ambulance when the fashion mogul came back to his senses, his eyes fluttering open and expression strained, as if in extreme pain. Adrien had started to cry, relieved but still worried as Nathalie had put her jacket under his father's head, changing numbers from ambulance to the family doctor. The wait for the doctor had been excruciatingly long. Gabriel had tried to speak and get up, only to get answered a firm 'no' by Nathalie as Adrien sobs died down. When the doctor arrived, the gorilla and the assistant helped the designer to get back to his room and it struck Adrien of how weak his father looked. He had never seen him in such a state before, and the thought that his father might die too scared him so much he thought he was going to cry again.

However, he fought back his tears as he knew Gabriel would want to see him strong. That didn't eased his distress as he waited anxiously with Nathalie while the doctor was examining his father. The assistant did her best to reassure him but he could see in her eyes that even she was worried. The doctor finally came out of the bedroom to tell them his diagnosis and instructions ; Adrien had not stayed to hear it all and immediately slipped away to see his father. He had cried again, but his dad had not scolded him for doing so, or maybe he was still too weakened to get angry. Gabriel was softer, an uncharacteristic trait. He had even allowed him to go to school ! He had almost skipped back to his room, still a bit worried for his father's health but happier that he had been in a long time.

The worry got pushed to the back of his mind however, when he opened the wooden box sitting on his coffee table. A little black demon cat had appeared in a shot of light, introduced himself as Plagg then proceeded to promptly wreck havoc in his room. This already long day was just getting longer, thought Adrien as he tried to catch the cat. He finally succeeded by launching himself from his climbing wall; falling with a loud thump that even alerted Nathalie. After telling his father's assistant that he was fine, no need to worry, he glared at the little demon, who looked absolutely unapologetic and started to ask him for food.

« What even are you ? » finally shouted Adrien, done with this day.

« I am a kwami. »

« A quoi-mi ? »

« A kwa-mi. Basically, I can give you powers. Yours is destruction. Does that help ? »

Adrien shook his head negatively, still lost. Still holding firmly the so called kwami, he sat down.

"Alright. Start from the beginning."

Marinette wasn't doing better.

« So… if I get this right, you're a god ? » she had calmed down and was now on her chair, still trying to come to terms with all this.

« Hm hm » responded the kwami, who was now free of the glass and chewing on a cookie.

« A god of creation ? »

« Exactly, and I need your help. »

« Why can't a god of creation solve ? Why me ? »

« I'm sorry, I forgot you were new to all this. A kwami gives power to their holder. There is so much we can do without an human to use us. »

« I still don't understand how I could help you. »

« The guardian of the miraculous -those earrings- choose you, Marinette. You have proven yourself worthy. I'm sure you will do fine ! » smiled gently the red god.

« I… have you seen me ? I am so clumsy, I cannot even take one step without falling. And what it is that I'm supposed to do ? »

The kwami suddenly grew very serious, and Marinette gulped audibly. Whatever this Tikki had in store for her, it certainly wasn't good.

"The guardian sensed that the butterfly miraculous, a miraculous that had not been activated in years, was used again, here in Paris. It's energy was negative. We are sure that someone took the miraculous to use it for evil. We need humans help to stop them, before it's too late. Only you and the miraculous of the black cat can do this !"

Marinette wanted to pull at her hair. First, she was supposed to become a superheros ? Then there was a super-villain on the run ? In Paris ? This was hard to believe… But she had pinched herself already, this was very real. She took a deep breath.

"Alright. Tell me what I need to do, Tikki."

Tikki smiled and flew to her chosen. "I believe in you, Marinette !" she told the girl. She could see that she was not very confident in herself, like a lot of her ladybugs at the beginning of their peculiar careers.

"Put on the earrings," chirped the red fairy. "Say, 'Tikki transform me' and when you find the akuma, use your lucky charm, your power of creation. It will give you a hint on what to do. Then, to cleanse the evil from the butterfly catch it with your weapon. To restore everything back to normal, release the butterfly and your lucky charm in the air. No one can know your secret identity, it is vital."

Marinette nodded, but Tikki could see in her eyes that she was still overwhelmed and hesitant as she put on the earrings.

Adrien, sat, deep in thought, as Plagg hovered over him, eating a piece of camembert cheese. His mind was reeling in all the informations he had just received.

"So what do you say, kid ?" asked the kwami, gulping his final piece of cheese.

Adrien smiled. He kind of liked the idea of being a superhero. He put the ring on his finger and looked at it, then at Plagg.

"Oooh, I can see in your eyes that you are excited alright" chucked the god of destruction.

"Let me recap. Cataclysm is for destructing ? And once i used up my power, I'll have 5 minutes before transforming back. Also, no one must know who I am. Sounds good to me."

Plagg was searching for a new wheel of camembert now, as Adrien stepped up. He could not wait to get out of home. He had a thought for his father, but hopefully he'd be resting and not searching for him right now.

"Let's do this ! Plagg, transform me !" said Adrien, as the kwami whining was cut off by the transformation.

The sensation of power was incredible. In one swift jump, he was on his open window. Another jump, and he was on the nearest rooftop. His new found speed was making him giddy with excitement. He vaulted from rooftop to rooftop, never once out of breath. He could even run on walls ! Adrien honestly felt like a kid on christmas morning. His sense were enhanced, his hearing and sight more sharp than ever. He was so excited he did not see the girl coming from the opposite direction and only her shriek made him snap back to reality. They collided and only her yoyo and reflexes prevented them from falling on the ground. He pulled himself up and dusted himself -he wasn't sure Plagg would appreciate dust on the suit- before taking one look at the girl. She was very pretty, her hair up in pigtails and she was covered in a red suit with black polka dots. She looked like…

"So you're the holder of the ladybug miraculous ?" he grinned, extending his hand for her to shake. She took his hand just as her yoyo fell back on her head, and winced.

"I am… m… clumsy." she sighed, not looking at him in the eye.

"Hey, it's ok," he chuckled "it's my first day on the job too." She smiled a bit at that and finally looked at him. Adorable, thought Adrien.

"And I take it you're the holder of the black cat miraculous, then."

"At your service," he bowed theatrically and she chuckled. Her laugh seemed to create universes. He could feel himself fall.

"Did your kwami told you about this butterfly threat too ?" she said, more nervously, her eyes scanning the area. Below them, a few civilians were pointing at them, their mouth open wide.

"He did talked about it but I don't see anything out of the ordinary for the moment," responded Adrien "well besides us, of course" she laughed at that again.

"Shall we take a look around Paris, see if we can find this threat anywhere… I don't know your name." she finally proposed, swinging her yoyo in large, swift circles.

"You can call me A… Chat Noir."

"That's fair. Call me Ladybug, please." she said after a beat of silence.

"Your wish is my command, my lady," he answered, ready to leap. She rolled her eyes but smiled and took off.

Gabriel had woken up from a much welcomed nap and had tried to get some work done until Nathalie had taken the tablet from his hands, telling him to 'stop being stubborn and rest'. He had tried to negotiate with her but nothing would do; his assistant was just adamant about following the doctor's orders.

He had now the time to be embarrassed about collapsing earlier. He wished Nathalie and Adrien did not have to see him like this. Nooroo had explained to him that the magic used to sent him back was so strong his body had not followed up, and needed rest, adding that to the emotional shock he had just suffered, it was only normal he had shut down. Still, Gabriel Agreste wasn't used to showing weakness. He'd rather die than let anyone see that side of him.

So he was stuck watching tv. What a waste of time, he thought as he took a book while Nooroo continued to watch. He tried to concentrate on the words, but nothing would do. The words of Nooroo turned and turned into his mind. How to be a hero ? He was so accustomed to akumatizing parisians, the mere thought was foreign to him. Being Hawkmoth had been addicting, it had been his way to vent out his sadness, grief and anger. Still now, he felt the urge to go to his lair and send out a butterfly. But he couldn't, wouldn't. For Adrien, he would try to change his ways. He was sent back for a reason. As Nooroo had said, kwamis only wanted their holder to be the best version of themselves. He could still change.

He was about to go back to sleep when Nooroo's voice interrupted him.

"Master, look !"

On the screen, two familiar heroes were seen vaulting from roof to roof. The news anchor was going on about how the two superheroes had been spotted patrolling in town.

"We have received news of a threat on Paris. A magical threat," said the Ladybug on the screen. Behind her, he could see his son, his hair wild and ruffled by the wind.

Ladybug kept going on how they would continue patrolling the city until the "threat" showed up but Gabriel could care less about what she said. His heart was beating fast and painfully again. Nooroo looked up worriedly at him and floated close to him.

"But… How ? I don't understand, I haven't akumatized anyone." he whispered, his fists clenching the soft sheets.

"It may be because you transformed before you were sent back, Master. The guardian must have felt the negative energy it liberated and thus choose to give away the miraculous." said softly the purple kwami.

"I see." he mumbled, lost in thought. History was repeating itself.

Akumatizing someone was tempting, very tempting but he doubted he would ever forgive himself if he did now. Nooroo seemed to have felt the strong emotions he was feeling, because he nuzzled in his neck.

"Everything will be alright, master."

"Thank you, little Nooroo."

Still troubled by the apparition of his ex arch-nemesis and his son, he nestled back into the covers. He doubted he would be able to find sleep now, but that did not meant he couldn't rest. He closed his eyes, when a knock on the door startled him.

"Yes ?" he called somewhat cooly, his temper short.

Nathalie entered the room. "Sorry to disturb your rest, sir. Have you watched the news ?"

"Yes I did."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I thought… You were going to be doing something about it."

"Well, since I'm supposed to be resting, I don't see how I could."

Her gaze told him clearly that she wasn't impressed by that lie.

"Master is going to be a hero !" chirped happily Nooroo, and Gabriel groaned. So much for discretion. Nathalie's second eyebrow shot up.

"Let's say I had a change of mind." he grimaced, shooting an angry glare at Nooroo, who just beamed at him.

"I see. Do you want me to-"

He knew exactly what she was talking about.

"No ! Nathalie, I forbid you to ever wear that Miraculous, you hear me ? It's broken. It's too dangerous."

Nathalie eyes widened. "very well sir, I won't go against your wish," she replied.

He couldn't lose her too.

An awkward silence followed and Nathalie started to retreat towards the door. However, before leaving, she stopped.

"May I ask… Why did you choose to give up ?" she asked.

Gabriel sighed. Here was the conversation he did not wish to have right now. He couldn't tell her that he had traveled back from time, to save himself. He couldn't. Yet.

"Adrien. I did it for Adrien. I cannot risk losing or injuring him" or you, he thought bitterly. Nathalie had done so much for him, and all he had repaid her was a slow death. Silence filled the room again.

"... Thank you" she said, in a whisper so low he might have missed it were it not for his supernatural abilities. He looked up, and a small, rare smile had appeared on her face. She closed the door softly behind her.

"You're lucky to have her, you know that" stated Nooroo as Gabriel leaned back on the pillow.

"Shut it, Nooroo." said the fashion mogul without much energy.

The kwami laughed, nuzzling in his hair.

Marinette yawned as she made her way to school. She had stayed up late conversing with Tikki.

The little god was as lost as her as to why the holder of the butterfly miraculous never showed a sign of life.

"I don't understand. They should have sent an akuma by now…" had mused audibly Tikki, munching on a cookie -her favorite recharge food, Marinette had learned.

"Maybe they changed their ways ?" Marinette had proposed as she sketched another outfit.

"Let's hope you're right, or maybe this is some kind of elaborated trap" had sighed the kwami.

Or maybe he saw how much of a klutz I was and he laughed so much he pitied me and decided to not attack she had thought sadly, her mind spinning in all kinds of different scenarios, all getting more and more ridiculous.

At least, her partner was nice. They had the occasion to talk a bit while they waited for about anything to show up. She learned he was a bit (read : a lot) flirty and loved puns. His suit was kind of nice, even if it wasn't she design she would have went with.

Alya interrupted her train of thoughts, the red haired girl blabbering excitedly.

"Marinette ! Can you believe, there is superheroes in Paris ! This is so great !"

And one of that heroes is the biggest klutz in all of Paris, thought bitterly Marinette. Tikki was kind but that didn't change the fact that she was still feeling unfit to be Ladybug. Maybe Alya would be more cut out of the job than her. She was so much more confident than her…

She put on a smile on her face while she listened to her friend's rambling about how great Ladybug was and how she wanted to go interview her if they were patrolling again.

She was about to answer when she entered the classroom and froze. A blond haired boy was crouching by her bench, and he was putting gum on her sit ! Anger filled her mind. So this was the famous Adrien Agreste Chloé told everyone about ? Another rich kid that wasn't worth more than Chloé.

"Excuse me." she spoke, barely controlled fury in her voice.

The boy jumped and had at least the decency to look embarrassed. "I was not… This is not…" he stuttered, blushing, but the ringing of the bell interrupted him and he had to get to his seat as the lesson started.

Her day was going better when she heard the first explosion outside, and screams.

It seemed that their threat had decided to show up after all. She hurried like the rest of the class to the huge glass windows, ignoring the cries of her teacher. Something… was advancing outside. It was like giant puppets who were held by glittering threads of white.

They had fangs and claws and were truly hideous, trailing white tar behind them.

Alya jumped up and down excitedly and hurried out of the classroom. Marinette followed after her, not noticing the blond boy sneaking out as well.

"Alya ! What are you doing ?!" she called after her friend as the bespectacled girl was taking her bike.

"I have to go follow them ! Where there is villains, there is superheroes ! Ladybug and Chat Noir are going to appear, I can feel it !"

And with that, she was off. Marinette trembled and tried to run after her. Wasn't she seeing this was extremely dangerous ?

"Marinette, you have to transform." implored Tikki from her purse. Marinette only shook more. She was terrified. She couldn't be Ladybug.

"Tikki, I can't… I'm sorry" she whispered, about to give up, when a shriek pierced the air. Alya's voice, Marinette recognized. She ran in the direction of the screams, to see Alya being lifted in the air by one of the mysterious creatures. Marinette stood there, her legs refusing to obey her, horror overtaking her.

"Ladybug !" cried Alya, closing her eyes.

That is when something in Marinette snapped. Determination replaced fear in her eyes and she ran in a nearby alley.

"Tikki, transform me !" she said, full of resolve.

Whatever this was, she was going to fight it and save her friend.

The transformation washed over her, and she didn't lost time and swinged hey yoyo full force into the creature, ripping it apart. It vanished in an inhuman screech and a puff of smoke. She caught Alya before the journalist could crash on the ground.

Chat noir arrived behind her, a big smile on his face.

"Shall we go take care of that akuma, my lady ?"

"Let's, chaton" she grinned, her confidence higher than ever, falling into the easy banter.

"Wait !" yelled Alya "Thank you, Ladybug" she said sincerely.

"Thank me when this is over. And please, be more careful next time." said Marinette, smiling.

They jumped away, following the traces of white tar. "Towards the eiffel tower !" yelled Chat over the wind.

When they arrived, a scene of destruction was awaiting them. Smoke was in the air from various explosions, the police was trying to fight the white creatures best they could but the gunshots were just absorbed by the tar. Ladybug could see Sabrina's dad yelling in a megaphone to retreat. She looked at Chat Noir and without hesitation, they soared into the fight.

Bad idea. They were soon outnumbered despite their best effort. Just when everything seemed lost, a powerful shield sent the creatures tumbling away. A small figure landed beside them, charging another shield. She was humanoid and wore an stylish silver armor. Her arms seemed to extend into shields.

"I am The Protector. I came to help you." she spoke, her voice focused "I'll cover you, now charge !" Ladybug decided they would deal with that Protector later, and fell back into the fight. The creatures suddenly retreated towards the eiffel tower, allowing them a small break. Out of breath, they turned to thank Protector only to see a white and purple light glow around her. A butterfly shot out of the feet bracelet she was wearing, and in her place was standing a very confused citizen.

They retreated on a rooftop, still trying to process what happened.

"I don't get it."

"If those creatures weren't an akuma… Then what was that Protector?" breathed Chat Noir.

"I believe that would have been me." said a cold voice behind them.


	3. Chapter 3

"I believe that would have been me." said a cold voice behind them.

Chat Noir jumped, Ladybug adopting the same defensive stance as him as they immediately turned at the sound. There stood a much older man, dressed in a purple and black suit. His face was covered by a mask shaped like a butterfly. His hair was a ash blond and his eyes a steely blue color. He was wielding a purple cane. His expression was stern and severe. Several butterflies were flying around, as if they were attracted to him, and on his neck rested a peculiar brooch. Ladybug gasped as she connected the dots, and she could feel Chat Noir tensing as he did the same.

"You're… The butterfly miraculous holder." said Chat Noir, in disbelief. They had searched for him, for an akuma during all the afternoon of the previous day and here he was, in plain sight ? Something didn't add up. Ladybug narrowed her eyes and started to swing her yoyo in circles, ready for a fight as Chat noir separated his staff in two. The mysterious man frowned but after a moment of staring, he dropped his cane and raised his two hands in a peace attempt.

"I am Papillon. I did not came here to fight you, nor take your miraculous." He said carefully, eyeing their reaction.

"And how are we supposed to believe you ? What tells us you aren't responsible for all this ?" responded Ladybug, her yoyo still circling the air.

Gabriel sighed, as he recalled how he got himself into this mess.

A few hours prior

Gabriel had woken up from his slumber feeling much better than yesterday. Even after several naps, he had managed to sleep the entire night through. He had even been able to get up to eat breakfast with Adrien and to wish him a nice day at school, something he promised himself he would be present for from now on. Even if he did still feel kind of awkward, seeing the overjoyed look on his son's face as he departed for Françoise Dupont was worth it.

He had then tried to get some work done, key word being tried, Nathalie still forcing him to rest, and as he couldn't decently get back to bed to waste another day watching the news, he instead decided to go to his lair. Today was the day he would put Nooroo's suggestion into shape.

"I believe it is time for some training, Nooroo." he said as the little kwami zoomed out of his jacket to fly among the many white butterflies. He still wasn't looking forward to being a hero ; but as Nooroo had said to him wisely, he could not just apologize. He had to change his apology into actions, and change. Become better.

After all, wasn't a butterfly all about evolving ?

"First, before transforming, I want you to do a little exercise, Master" said Nooroo, serious. "I want you to close your eyes and feel the city."

"What do you mean by that ?"

"Scan for emotions, if that is clearer. A butterfly holder is an empath first. You told me you concentrated only on negative emotions before, right ? You must learn to let go of that, and feel the city as a whole. Let your mind go blank."

Gabriel took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. It was harder than he thought to free his mind of any concerning matter, especially after all the went through yesterday, but after a good 30 minutes of struggling he succeeded in doing so. More or less. He almost jumped when he started to feel Nooroo's emotions first, pulsating with happiness and concentration too. He didn't recalled the little kwami feeling so happy ever. Was it because he started to redeem himself ? Curious, he started to try to expand his newfound power. Soon, he was feeling Nathalie's concern with a bit of frustration. It was becoming easier to expand his senses minute by minute ; Gabriel had always been a fast learner. Breathing steadily, he let Parisian's emotions wash over him. If he had to describe it, it would be like colors. Much more vibrant than when he was scanning for negativity. Searching without a goal was kind of relaxing actually, he was free to pass from one person to another, like an afterthought. Joy, sadness, anger, pain but also delight and happiness… he could feel it all. He opened his eyes again.

Nooroo was smiling at him, and he cupped his hands to hold the little kwami.

"How was it ?" asked Nooroo, a little disconcerted by his master's unusual silence.

"It was… different." said finally Gabriel after a moment, a tiny smile appearing on his face.

"I never realized I could feel so many," he confessed.

"Because you weren't at your full potential until now. You have opened your eyes to many more possibilities than just doing evil."

Gabriel inhaled and stayed silent once again. He felt very humble, something that wasn't happening often. Nooroo took off as one of the butterflies came fluttering in Gabriel's hair. Slowly, they retreated back to the mansion, the butterfly still following Gabriel.

Nathalie coughed to hide a laughter when she saw the bug into his hair. He glared at her and gathered all of the dignity he had left to go into his office. He was forbidden from working, but that did not meant he could not sketch a bit. It had been long since he had done some designing for himself. While Nooroo slept into some fabrics samples he had taken out, he pondered on his next course of action. He was already resolved to make more public apparitions, starting with going back to the Gabriel's main office downtown. He still promised himself he would be back in time for dinners with Adrien, he had no excuse to skip them anymore. That boy had eaten alone enough times already.

He made a mental note to tell Nathalie to allow Adrien to have lunch at Françoise Dupont. If his son was to socialize properly, it was better to do it with his friends around. Speaking of his friends, allow Adrien to have them over. Gabriel liked calm environment when he worked, but if he were to go to his office that would be a solving the problem. Even if that meant having Nino Lahiffe around. And if Gabriel was fortunate enough, that would not include the Bourgeois daughter. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought. There was only so much he could deal with. Last but not least, Adrien's birthday was coming up and he had to find him a proper gift himself this time. He had missed out on too much. He would not this time. He was still reluctant to let him have a birthday party, but maybe a sleepover was feasible.

Mending the bridge that had separated Adrien and him over the last year would not be easy, but still could be done. He only had realized now that while he wallowed in his grief, Adrien had began to heal through being Chat Noir. He could not decently take that away from him. That is only when looking at Émilie's golden portrait that the fact he was a single parent dawned on him. She would never wake up by his side, would never laugh again, would never see Adrien grow. That was so unfair. His throat burned as he repressed tears. He would be strong. For her. For Adrien.

A few hours later, his designing done, he started to go up the stairs, intending to go see Nathalie to tell her to put on his schedule Adrien's upcoming parent-teacher conference, when he passed by the large portrait of him and Adrien. Frowning, he started at it. Seriously, what was he thinking when he had that commissioned ? He sighed. He would have Nathalie have it taken down.

He announced his presence and entered Nathalie's office. Just as he was opening his mouth, a loud explosion cut him off. It was coming from the streets. Both cursing, Nathalie put through the news on her tablet. The footage showed mysterious white creatures oozing a sort of tar, spreading chaos in Paris.

"Don't be amused, it's just the news ! Nadja Chamak reporting. It seems Paris has been taken by a supernatural threat that has yet to reveal itself. Is this what Ladybug and Chat Noir warned us about ? The government and the police are asking everyone to take shelter and not come out under any pretext as they deal with the situation. The districts to avoid are the 7th, the 1th and 6th."

Gabriel cursed again. He was sure his son would throw himself into the fight soon as given the chance to. They weren't his akumas, he did not know what exactly they were and what they were capable of. He looked desperately at Nathalie.

"I did not do this," he whispered.

"I know." she said, putting her hand on his arm in an attempt of comfort.

"Master…" Nooroo whined anxiously, interrupting them. The kwami looked terrified. Gabriel had the feeling he knew something about this eerie menace, but questions would have to wait until later.

"We have to go help Ladybug and Chat Noir." he said resolutely. There was no time to waste. Nooroo nodded, a new found determination in his eyes.

"Nooroo, transform me !"

The ancient magic washed over him and barely had the time to notice the slight changes in his mask as he jumped out of the window.

He wasn't used to run around in Paris, and his progression wasn't exactly the most discreet with all the white butterflies trailing behind him. He jumped from roof to roof, following the traces of white tar, when he finally spotted the two heroes making their way to the fight towards the eiffel tower. Retreating at a safe distance, he evaluated the situation rather than heading headfirst into the confusion.

Focus. The voice of Nooroo came back to him in a rush. You need to find someone with strong emotions ; the bigger the better, as you know already. He took a deep breath, and closing his eyes, searched for raw feelings. It was easier while he was transformed than not. Soon, he detected a strong energy from a petite woman who hid behind the police barrage, scarred for her children. A perfect champion. He caught one of the butterflies and charged it with energy, as Nooroo had teached him. The tenshi flew away to its champion, and settled in her feet bracelet. He inhaled. There was no going back now.

"Protector, I am Le Papillon. I will grant you the powers to protect your children. In exchange, you will have to help Ladybug and Chat Noir defend themselves."

"I will protect them all," growled his champion as the transformation happened.

Gabriel snapped back to reality. His silence wasn't arranging the situation ; Ladybug and Chat Noir were growing wearier.

"Who did you think just came to your rescue as you were cornered ? It was one of my tenshis." he said, picking his words carefully.

"And what tells us you it isn't some trap ? Our kwamis warned us about you."

He sighed again. This wasn't going better, and who knew how many time they had left before the monsters returned. He had to say something to convince them he wasn't the same man as before, and quick.

"I have a son." he blurted out.

Great, that wasn't what he was expecting to say. And according to their face, it was not what they were expecting either.

"What ?"

Oh, he might as well do this.

"I have a son your age. I realized I did not wanted to lose him. I could have injured him seriously. And I cannot… I cannot do that to him," he said, hating how his voice broke on the last few words. But he couldn't deny it ; everything was true.

The harsh light in Ladybug's eyes seemed to soften. Chat Noir was still staring at him. Then, the hero did something unbelievable. He started to laugh.

"May I ask what is so funny ?" enquired Gabriel, dreading the answer.

"It's just that… I guess you can say you're Papapillon," responded Chat Noir, doubling in laughter, his shoulders shaking.

That was it, Adrien was grounded.

"Say that one more time and I will start releasing akumas on you." he growled. The situation was serious and all his son could do was pun ? Unbelievable.

On top of that, he could see that Ladybug was fighting back a huge grin herself. Ugh, this was why he hated teenagers.

Her face grew serious again and Chat's laughter died down. She extended her hand to him.

"Let's call a truce for now. We do need help. However, try so much as to send one akuma and backstab us, I will personally hunt you down." she said, not flinching from his gaze one bit. Next to the spotted hero, Chat Noir looked at her in awe.

He shook her hand.

"I have no intention of doing so." he promised.

She nodded.

"Uh, guys ? I think the monsters are back. And they're not alone this time." said Chat Noir, looking towards the eiffel tower.

A blurry figure had materialized on the top floor of the tower, menacing. It raised it's hand, and several white creatures were summoned out of thin air.

"I will stand back. My tenshi will come to aid you." said Papillon, already charging a butterfly with white and purple energy.

"All right. Let's go !"

Ladybug and Chat Noir were already charging into the fight, while the butterfly made it's way to a policeman standing in retreat.

Fighting the white monsters was easier this time, maybe because they had a bit more time to understand their enemy. The policeman Papillon had just transformed was a huge help too, covering them when they couldn't see. Ladybug summoned her lucky charm as Chat Noir clawed the next enemy. Soon they were approaching the tower.

Suddenly, the monsters stopped all movement. An eerie silence spread on the battlefield, the only noises being the blades of the helicopter moving around. A white figure descended slowly, landing right in front of Ladybug.

It seemed human, but at the same time it wasn't. It had three pairs of red eyes and it glowed white, long floating wards of transparent tulle look alike shoot out of its arm and legs. The strange garment moved as if it was being blew by a wind of it's own.

« Parisians, fear not. » started the thing with no mouth. Ladybug and Chat Noir winced as the voice was loud and clear, making itself heard over miles and miles.

« I am Le Veilleur. I wish you no harm. I only came to destroy what is mine : the miraculous. Ladybug, Chat Noir, Papillon. Give me your miraculous, and I will leave this city alone. »

Ladybug prepared to answer, but as she opened her mouth, one of the garment shot itself toward her, transforming into a sharp edge. Chat Noir launched himself at Ladybug, knocking her into the ground. There was a loud clang and a puff of smoke as the weapon collided with Papillon's staff. The man stood in front of them, vibrating with anger. The garment took back it's form of clothing.

Papillon growled, and his staff revealed a long sword.

« Get ready to fight ! This thing has no intention to let us out alive ! » he scowled, readying his sword for the next impact.

Ladybug, however, got up and slowly came to Papillon's side, Chat Noir following soon after.

« This showed us we cannot trust you with our Miraculous, Veilleur. I don't believe you one bit. This city is more safe with us. » she said, frowning.

« Paris ! We'll protect you ! » she yelled as she swinged her yoyo, cutting through the white clothing and monsters. Le Veilleur let out an inhuman scream of rage.

« This isn't over, Ladybug ! I will find your miraculous, and I will destroy them all ! Fear what I can do ! » it said while disappearing.

With a shout, Ladybug threw her lucky charm to the sky, releasing a swarm of pink ladybugs all over Paris, her magic restoring the city back to it's normal state. From afar, the crowd started to cheer. Chat Noir was gaping at her as she turned around.

« I'll admit I was wrong about you, Papillon, » said Ladybug. « You've proven us we can trust you. »

« Paris does need more heroes, y'know » Chat Noir grinned, and for one moment Gabriel could see the resemblance with his son, clear as crystal.

« I'm more effective from afar. I have a place to hide. » said Gabriel, his heartbeat painful again. He had almost lost his reckless son again today. If that blow had landed… he didn't want to think about it.

« We'll call you, then. »

He nodded.

« My lady, that was incredible ! » beamed Chat Noir.

« Well, I had amazing help, » she said to him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She turned and walked to the rushing camera crew.

« Whoever that girl is, I'm in love with her. » whispered Adrien, enamored. Gabriel heard him and sighed. Right. That was entirely another thing.

« Shall we go, Chat Noir ? » he proposed politely to the hero.

Adrien stared at him for a moment. He was reminded of someone familiar, but who ?

« Yeah, let's… papapillon. »

Papillon narrowed his eyes and Chat Noir laughed even more.


End file.
